Canister.



J. CHRISTENSEN.

UANISTER.

APPLICATION FILED 11120.3, 1909.

Patented July 19, 1910.

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JACOB CHRISTENSEN, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB CHRISTENSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented a new and useful Canister, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to canisters of that general class in which atilting box is contained in an outer casing and may be swung outwardlytherefrom whereby to secure access to the canisters when piled up intiers, one upon the other, and has for an object to generally improvethe same by the provision of an automatic locking device to hold thetilting box in its outward limit of movement until released by theoperator.

Another object is to provide a device of this character in which theabutting upper edges of the casing and tilting box will be covered overto prevent dust and foreign matter from gaining access to the contentsof the canister.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having asimple and effective means for releasing the tilting box from its lockedor normal position.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character in whichthe contents of the tilting box cannot be displaced into the outercasing of the canister.

With the above advantages and other objects in view which will appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, my invention embracesthe novel detail of construction and combination of parts illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, shown in the following specification and setforth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical section of acanister constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showingthe tilting box in final or operative position.

In a more detailed description of my invention wherein similarcharacters of reference designate similar parts wherever they occur inthe views shown, A designates the outer casing having a bottom 1 fromthe longitudinal edges of which rise vertical side walls 5 and 6 andfrom one of the end edges of which rises the rear wall 7 the front sidebeing left open to receive the tilting box. The upper edges of the sidesand rear Walls are connected by a cover 8 which Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed December 3, 1909.

Patented July 19, 1910. Serial No. 531,212.

is provided on its lateral and end edges with downwardly projectingflanges 9 adapted to snugly fit the outer surfaces of the sides and rearwall of the outer casing.

The letter B designates the tilting box of the canisterWhlChwCOlllPI'lSGS a bottom 10 from the lateral edges of which rise thever tical side walls 11, and from the end edges of which rise thevertical front wall 12 and rear wall 13, the top of the tilting boxbeing left open to permit the removal of the contents. The upper edges14 of the tilting box are rounded downwardly, as shown, and areconnected at their lower ends by a flange 15 which projects from theupper edge of the rear wall and which serves to prevent the contents ofthe box from being jarred out into the outer casing. The rear wall is ofsuch a depth that it allows the box to be tilted a certain defineddistance when the projecting flange 15 will act as a stop to prevent thefurther movement of the box by striking against the inwardly projectingflanges 16 carried by the lateral walls of the outer casing.

In order to provide a pivot for the tiltin box an upstanding flange 17is upturnec from the bottom of the outer casing, the upper edges of thisflange serving as a fulcrum upon which the front wall of the tilting boxwill rock. This upstanding flange connects the lateral sides of theouter casing adjacent their bottom edges and serves to reinforce theselateral sides and prevent any tendency of the same to bulge or be spreadapart during the tilting of the inner box.

Secured to the top edges of the side walls adjacent the outer end is aninverted L- shaped stop plate 18, one leg of which projects inward, asshown at 19, along the top edges of the side walls and forms a supportfor the cover of the outer casing, the other leg 20 projectingdownwardly along the front end edges of the side walls and constitutinga stop to limit the inward tilting movement of the inner box and alsoserves to reinforce t-he upper portions of the side wall and preventbulging of the same. It will thus be seen by referring to the drawingthat the downwardly projecting flange 9 of the cover will be heldclosely in contact with the outer surface of the front wall 12 of thetilting box when the same is in contact with the stop plate 18 and willform a cover or closure for the abutting edges of the stop plate andfront wall 12 and prevent the admission of dust or foreign matter intothe interior of the tilting box. Formed in the stop plate 18 adjacentits opposite ends are slots 21 that loosely fit the lateral sides 11 andtop edges let of the tilting box and form guides for the same in itssliding movements.

In order to permit the tilting box to be held in its outward limit ofmovement a locking device is provided which is automatic in operationand which will now be described. The upper edges 14: of the tilt ing boxare notched, as shown at 22, these notches being so positioned that theywill have passed through the slotted stop plate before the stop flange15 of the tilting box has come into contact with the inwardly projectingflanges 16 of the outer casing. These notches are of a size to looselyfit the downwardly projecting flanges 9 of the cover and will receivethis flange when the tilting box is pulled to its outward limit ofmovement. It will thus be seen that the flange 9 of the cover when inthis position will lockingly engage the alined slots 22 and will preventany further movement of the parts either in a forward or rearwarddirection. The box will be held in this position until the cover israised clear of the notches when it may be rocked back to its initialposition, the flange of the cover gravitating when the box has reachedits inward limit of motion and impinging the outer surface of the frontwall 12 and locking the tilting box in this posit-ion.

For releasing the cover from its locked position, a sliding finger plate23 is provided. The finger plate consists essentially of a base plate 24adapted to slidingly fit the outer surfaces of the front wall of thetilting box, the lateral edges of the plate being slidingly mounted inguide bars 25 and 26 secured to the front wall of the tilting box in anypreferred manner. Secured to the outer lateral face of this plate is abeehive shell 27 underneath which the fingers may be inserted to slidethe plate 21 upwardly. The upper edge of this shell is flattened toprovide a contact surface 28 to bear upon the bead 29 formed upon thelower edge of the downwardly projecting flange 9 of the cover.

By referring now to Fig. 1 it will be seen that when the finger plate isslid upward the cover will be raised clear of the front wall of thetilting box and will easily slide along the rounded upper edges thereofuntil the notches 22 have passed the stop plate 18 when the cover willgravitate and retain the box in this position as above explained. Thefront wall of the tilting box is provided with a transparent glass slide30, the lateral edges of which are engaged in guides 31 se cured to theinner surface of the front wall. To prevent dust or other foreign matterfrom working underneath the slide 30, the edges 32 of the front wall arerounded inward and snugly bear upon the outer surface of the glass, asshown. This glass may be provided with advertising matter or with thenames of the flavors or varieties of cookies, cakes, crackers, etc.,which may be contained within the canister. A name plate 33 of anypreferred form is secured to the front wall of the outer casing.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, it is thought that the construction and opera tion of myinvention will be easily understood without a more extended explanation,it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion andminor details of construction may be made without sacrificing any of theadvantages or departing from the spirit of the invention.

lVhat is claimed is 1. The combination with a casing having a hingedcover, of a box contained therein pivoted at the lower front edge ofsaid casing, the upper edges of the lateral sides of said box beingrounded downwardly from front to rear and provided with oppositelydisposed notches adjacent the ends adapted to engage said cover wherebyto limit the pivotal movement of said inner box, and

means for automatically releasing the parts from locked posltlon.

2. The combination with a casing, of a box contained therein pivoted atthe lower front edge of said casing, a hinged cover assembled with saidcasing, said cover having downwardly projecting flanges disposed on thelateral and front end edges adapted to normally retain said inner box atits inward limit of pivotal motion, said inner box having downwardlycurved sides provided with alined notches to engage the front downwardlyprojecting flange of said cover whereby to limit the outward pivotalmove ment of said inner box, and a sliding meinber carried by said innerbox adapted to bear against the lower edge of said downwardly projectingfront flange whereby to raise said cover and release the inner box fromits locked position at its inward limit of. pivotal motion.

3. The combination with a casing, having inwardly projecting flangessecured to the upper edges of its lateral sides, of a box containedtherein, a fulcrum plate secured to the lower front edge of said casingadapted to pivotally mount said box in said casing, said box havingrearwardly and downwardly curved lateral sides to permit a tilt ingmovement of the box on said fulcrum plate, a flange disposedtransversely the upper edges of said curved lateral sides adjacent therear ends thereof adapted to abut the outer casing whereby to limit theoutward tilting movement of said box, a cover hinged on said casing andadapted to gravitate and normally retain said box at its inward limit ofmotion, and a sliding plate carried by said box adapted to bear againstsaid cover and raise the same from engagement with said box whereby torelease the parts from their locked position.

4. The combination with a casing having a bottom, side walls, a rearwall, and hinged cover terminating at the front edge in a downwardlyprojecting flange, of a box pivotally mounted within said casing, saidbox having downward and rearwardly curved sides provided with alinednotches formed on the top edges adjacent the rear ends thereof toreceive the downwardly projecting flange of said cover whereby toyieldingly hold the box at its outer limit of movement to facilitate theremoval of its contents, a stop plate connecting the front edges of thelateral sides of the casing adjacent said box at its inward limit ofmotion and being adapted to snugly fit the inner walls of the frontflange of said cover when the same is closed whereby to prevent dust orforeign matter from gaining access to the contents of the box, and asliding plate secured to the front wall of said box and having a shellforming a convenient handle, the upper edge of which is flattened toprovide a contact surface to bear against the downwardly projectingflange of said cover 1 whereby to raise the cover and release the boxfrom locked position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB CHRISTENSEN.

Witnesses:

C. R. CARPENTER, B. R. JONES.

